Leslie Bricusse tribute is Pure Imagination for Dave Willetts

A cast of top West End musical theatre names will star in the première of Pure Imagination, which celebrates the songs of Leslie Bricusse.

Dave Willetts, Siobhan McCarthy, Niall Sheehy, Julie Atherton and Giles Terera will help celebrate the work of one of the most prolific and well loved film and musical theatre songwriters of our time.

Produced by Danielle Tarento and directed by Tony nominated Christopher Renshaw, it will open in the main house at London’s St. James Theatre on September 24.

Dave Willetts has been one of this country’s leading musical theatre stars for 25 years. He was the first person to play the leading roles in the two most successful shows of recent times, Les Misérables (London and Australia) and The Phantom of the Opera (London and Manchester) for which he won the Manchester Evening News Award for Best Performance.

His other leading roles include Old Deuteronomy in Cats (London); Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar (London and Europe); Father in Ragtime (London); Adam Pontipee in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (National Tour and London) and Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (National Tour).

He has also played George in Sunday in the Park with George (National Tour); Max Von Mayerling in Sunset Boulevard (London), for which he received an Olivier Award nomination; Sir George Dillingham in Aspects of Love (London) for which he received a Whatsonstage Award nomination.

Siobhan McCarthy recently starred as Mrs Lovett in the sold-out production of Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at Harrington’s Pie Shop, Tooting which then transferred to the West End.

She also created the role of Donna in the original cast of Mamma Mia! for which she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Niall Sheehy’s musical theatre roles include: West Side Story, Assassins and A Man Of No Importance.

Julie Atherton first starred in the West End in Mamma Mia! Other theatre credits include Fame, Avenue Q, Sister Act the Musical and Shock Treatment, the musical sequel to The Rocky Horror Show.

Giles Terera was in the original West End cast of Book of Mormon. His other musical theatre credits are Avenue Q, The Rat Pack Live, Jailhouse Rock, 125th Street and Rent.